The Vikings will add Chris Doleman to their Ring of Honor this season, it was announced this morning.
The team's official release:
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Former Minnesota Vikings DE Chris Doleman will receive the highest honor the team can bestow upon an individual when he is inducted as the 19th member of the Vikings Ring of Honor on Sunday, October 23, 2011, at halftime of the Vikings-Packers game at Mall of America Field.Â
One of the most feared defensive players of his era, Doleman ended his 15-year NFL career with 150.5 sacks, the 4th-most in NFL history, and 8 interceptions. He ranks 7th in NFL history with 24 career defensive fumble recoveries. Doleman led the NFL in 1989 with 21.0 sacks and earned a spot on the 1990’s NFL Team of the Decade. His prolific ‘89 season helped the Vikings post 71.0 sacks as a team, the 2nd-most in NFL history. He played on Vikings defenses that ranked #1 in the NFL in 1988, ’89 and ’93.
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Doleman was a 1st-Team Associated Press All-Pro in 1989 and ’92, a 2nd-Team honoree in 1987 and ’93 and went to 6 Pro Bowls as a Viking (1987, ’88, ’89, ’90, ’92, ’93). Doleman went on to play for Atlanta (1994-95) and San Francisco (1996-98), earning a Pro Bowl berth with each team, before coming out of retirement to play his final season in 1999 with the Vikings. Always part of a winner, Doleman only endured 3 losing campaigns in his 15 seasons and helped his clubs to make playoff berths 10 times. The #4 overall draft pick in 1985, Doleman is 5th in Vikings history with 96.5 sacks and has been a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist in 2010 and 2011.
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MINNESOTA VIKINGS RING OF HONOR
Inductee                                                        Year
Fran Tarkenton                                            1998
Alan Page                                                     1998
Jim Finks                                                      1998
Bud Grant                                                     1998
Paul Krause                                                 1998
Fred Zamberletti                                          1998
Jim Marshall                                                1999
Ron Yary                                                       2001
Korey Stringer                                              2001
Mick Tinglehoff                                            2001
Carl Eller                                                       2002
Cris Carter                                                    2003
Bill Brown                                                     2004
Jerry Burns                                                   2005
Randall McDaniel                                       2006
Chuck Foreman                                          2007
John Randle                                                 2008      Â
Scott Studwell                                              2009
Chris Doleman                                           2011    Â
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